16-year-old from Uttar Pradesh was allegedly assaulted by the bus driver and conductor before being abandoned near Kashmere Gate in Delhi
New Delhi, September 2, 2026: A 16-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh was allegedly gang-raped inside a sleeper bus on the night of August 4, in a case that has since led to the arrest of the vehicle’s driver and conductor. According to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Delhi Police accounts, the girl had left her home in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, intending to travel to Noida to stay with a cousin. She reportedly got off at Pari Chowk in Greater Noida after missing her intended stop. It was raining heavily and dark, and she was looking for transport to reach Noida Sector 63.
According to the police investigation, while the teenager was waiting at Pari Chowk, an empty sleeper bus stopped near her. The bus had reportedly been taken to a workshop in Surajpur, Greater Noida, after developing a technical problem and was being driven back towards a parking facility in Timarpur, Delhi, after repairs. The girl allegedly signalled the bus to stop and asked about reaching Noida Sector 63. Police said the conductor told her that the bus was going in that direction, following which she boarded the vehicle. She reportedly found herself as the only passenger inside.
Police allege that after the bus began moving, the conductor behaved inappropriately towards the girl and that the driver and conductor subsequently sexually assaulted her inside the moving vehicle. According to her complaint, she was threatened when she resisted. The bus continued towards Delhi, eventually covering approximately 47 kilometres from Pari Chowk to the Kashmere Gate area. Heavy curtains on the sleeper berths reportedly made it difficult for people outside the vehicle to see inside.
The teenager was eventually abandoned near the Ring Road area close to Kashmere Gate Inter-State Bus Terminal in Delhi. She managed to seek help and reached the Kashmere Gate police station, where she reported the alleged assault. Police arranged her medical examination and began tracing the vehicle. She was subsequently produced before the Child Welfare Committee and, following its directions, handed over to her family.
Two Accused Arrested
The accused have been identified by police as driver Kuldeep and conductor Sandeep. Investigators used CCTV footage from locations along the route and technical surveillance to trace the bus to a parking facility in Timarpur. Both men were arrested on August 4, according to police. The bus was seized and sent for forensic examination.
Investigators have collected forensic and biological evidence from the vehicle, including hair strands and other samples, and have sought an expedited forensic report. Police have also recorded statements from several witnesses, including the girl’s cousin, the bus owner, people connected with workshops where the vehicle had stopped, and officials who interacted with the survivor. Delhi Police said the evidence is being compiled for the charge sheet, which officers indicated could be filed within approximately two weeks.
The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of the reported assault and issued notices to the Police Commissioners of Delhi and Gautam Budh Nagar, as well as the Superintendent of Police in Mainpuri. The commission has sought a detailed report on the investigation and the status of any compensation provided to the survivor.
The case has attracted particular attention because the alleged crime occurred inside a moving passenger vehicle travelling between Greater Noida and Delhi. However, the investigation is still ongoing, and the allegations against the accused have not yet been established in court.
Important: Because the survivor is a minor, her name, photograph, school, address and other identifying information should not be published. The photographs above are illustrative images of the bus/location and do not depict the survivor.
